Hotel Ripoff

[snoophound]

Stayed at the Novotel Siam last night.

Wireless Internet was 750 baht for 24 hrs which is about the norm in BKK....GOD KNOWS WHY the infrastructure to do this is not expensive.

I thought I would save some money and use my dial up acct.

To my horror on checkout these extortionists charge 27 baht a min for LOCAL CALLS!!!!!

My bill for dialup was double what I paid for the loom!!!

No indication of these prices in the room by the way.

Told the illiterate asst mgr who just looked at me inanely.

Dont get caught.

I am really pissed.

[bkkmadness]

That is extortinate, but I can't help feeling you should have checked the costs first, hotels are known to always have expensive tel charges aren't they?

You should pen a letter or email to the Novotel chain head office if your really pissed off about it, and also mention the asst managers lack of help when you first made the complaint.

[snoophound]

yes you dont think to call reception to ask how much when making a local call.

I know they skin you on toll calls

most hotels in thailand charge on a per call basis.

Didnt have this problem at the sheraton.

Novotel certainly got my guest comment card.

Will also make noise with head office.

That is extortinate, but I can't help feeling you should have checked the costs first, hotels are known to always have expensive tel charges aren't they?

You should pen a letter or email to the Novotel chain head office if your really pissed off about it, and also mention the asst managers lack of help when you first made the complaint.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[britmaveric]

Snoop- feel your pain, but hotels arse notorious for ripping u a new are when it comes to using their phones. Should have asked.....

Edited April 14, 2005 by britmaveric

[baht&sold]

There are loads of wifi spots around there... not excusing the Hotel for gouging tho

[kreon]

Stayed at the Novotel Siam last night.

Wireless Internet was 750 baht for 24 hrs which is about the norm in BKK....GOD KNOWS WHY the infrastructure to do this is not expensive.

I thought I would save some money and use my dial up acct.

To my horror on checkout these extortionists charge 27 baht a min for LOCAL CALLS!!!!!

My bill for dialup was double what I paid for the loom!!!

No indication of these prices in the room by the way.

Told the illiterate asst mgr who just looked at me inanely.

Dont get caught.

I am really pissed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

what's wrong with your mobile, also starbuck's etc. have wi-fi

[ovenman]

To my horror on checkout these extortionists charge 27 baht a min for LOCAL CALLS!!!!!

You sure that you weren't accidently using a dial-up node that was located somewhere up-country? I have used a dial-up connection at many hotels across the Kingdom and have never been charged anything but a flat rate for a local call (the rate for which does vary from hotel to hotel).

[toyicebear]

Moronic replays...the solution is quite simpl, buy a 123 call phone card and put in ur mobile..and u can call any number inside thailand at a very cheep rate...

Edited April 14, 2005 by toyicebear

[Smokin Joe]

Moronic replays...the solution is quite simpl, buy a 123 call phone card and put in ur mobile..and u can call any number inside thailand at a very cheep rate...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Read the OP before makeing moronic replys.

[Jack Jones]

Moronic replays...the solution is quite simpl, buy a 123 call phone card and put in ur mobile..and u can call any number inside thailand at a very cheep rate...

I'd buy a 121 card but then I'm a moron

[Smokin Joe]

How about helping us all and explaining how to use local calling cards in your mobile to connect your laptop to the internet. The OP is about internet connections in a hotel.

[cdnvic]

Moronic replays...the solution is quite simpl, buy a 123 call phone card and put in ur mobile..and u can call any number inside thailand at a very cheep rate...

Most people are in their teens when they start using phone cards and cell phones, but you learn to spell "replies" in the second grade.

cv

[Thetyim]

[nick2k]

27 baht per minute? that can't be right.

in the states, you can make a phone call from a pay phone for 50 cents. but you can talk forever for that.

it must be a mistake.

I can't believe a hotel like novatel siam would do that.

a phone call from a land line in bangkok costs 3 baht. and for that 3 baht, you can talk forever.

yeah. I would talk to the hotel manager about this.

every business graduate knows that return customers are the name of the game. enticing people to come to the hotel once, and then, blowing them away is so shortsighted.

I'm sure that the hotel would not want to give this image to prospective customers. they stand to lose a lot of business if this is the way they are treating people.

being the curious type of guy, I will go to the hotel and ask them face-to-face how much it costs for a phone call if I stay at their hotel.

27 baht a minute for a local call? nah. you must be exaggerating.

[GoodHeart]

Cheap web surfing through mobil/grps Surf the web anywhere

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Gee, I wonder why I fail to see the brilliance of your solution.

Let me get this straight, via this URL you are suggesting to snoophound, what he should have done for the one night stay was to purchase the Axen GPRS Air Card at the promotion price of Bt10,900 and configure that to his laptop! Hats off to toyicebear for some savvy shopping! Why, the OP would even be saving Bt2,000 at this promotion price.

Of course, we don't dare muddy the simplicity of this solution. So, let's just assume the OP *does* have a mobile, *does* have a DTAC sim, and *did* have time to swing by a DTAC shop and configure the two, after the Axon purchase. Oh, and lets make sure we assume the OP had that Bt 10,900 just burning a hole in his pocket, too.

Alas, if it would only have been so simple....

Edited April 29, 2005 by GoodHeart

[unbiasbob]

27 baht per minute?  that can't be right. 

in the states, you can make a phone call from a pay phone for 50 cents.  but you can talk forever for that.

it must be a mistake.

I can't believe a hotel like novatel siam would do that.

a phone call from a land line in bangkok costs 3 baht.  and for that 3 baht, you can talk forever.

yeah.  I would talk to the hotel manager about this.

every business graduate knows that return customers are the name of the game.  enticing people to come to the hotel once, and then, blowing them away is so shortsighted.

I'm sure that the hotel would not want to give this image to prospective customers.  they stand to lose a lot of business if this is the way they are treating people.

being the curious type of guy, I will go to the hotel and ask them face-to-face how much it costs for a phone call if I stay at their hotel.

27 baht a minute for a local call?  nah.  you must be exaggerating.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, I would do that also; talking to the mgr that is. 1st though I would practice on a wall cause that's what talking to the mgr will be like

[huski]

1st though I would practice on a wall cause that's what talking to the mgr will be like

[siamesekitty]

1st though I would practice on a wall cause that's what talking to the mgr will be like

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

agree

Some time ago I was invited for a job interview at Novotel Siam Square. Besides this incident, is it a good hotel overall?

[trajan]

Just for comparison, the Pratumwan Princess hotel connected to the giant MBK shopping center (which is very near the Novotel Siam Square) charges Baht 5 per local call (not per minute, per call)..... I also like the Pratumwan Princess much better than Novotel Siam Square

[meadish_sweetball]

27 baht per minute sounds like a long distance call to me.

Surely the hotel would choose a flat rate such as 10, 20 or 30 baht, not 27?

BTW, Amari Atrium at New Petchburi Rd. charges a flat fee of 10 baht for each outgoing local call.

[snoophound]

I actually got a letter from management saying he would discuss the pricing with his front office manager.!!!!!! at least that part of the feedback loop worked

My main issue was the fact that the prcing was not in the rooms.

27 baht per minute sounds like a long distance call to me.

Surely the hotel would choose a flat rate such as 10, 20 or 30 baht, not 27?

BTW, Amari Atrium at New Petchburi Rd. charges a flat fee of 10 baht for each outgoing local call.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[meadish_sweetball]

It all sounds really strange, doesn't it? Maybe it was a scam by the front office people that the general manager did not know about.

If you get any further info let us know.

Cheers,

meadish

[ThaiPauly]

It's a rip-off for sure. I have NEVER made a phone call from a hotel room unless it was being paid for by my employers.

However I still think you should query THAT bill, even now, but trying to get your money back, thats not a Thai Custom is it?

The only GOOD thing to come out of this is that you have alerted TV Members to this outrageous scam. Im sorry it does not help you much.

Cheers

TP